DETROIT — New Motor Advisors, a new Michigan-based LLC established by former GM and HUMMER execs, says it aims to help link OEMs, suppliers, fleets, governmental agencies, M&A advisors and start-ups to more than 200 years of experience in automotive product and technology development.
Founder and President David Stenson, the former chief technical officer of HUMMER and 29-year automotive veteran, recruited two other members of his former HUMMER team, William Shikany and Ronald Yuille as vice presidents of operations and powertrain, respectively. Shikany brings 34 years of experience and Yuille, a prior vice president of Powertrain Engineering for GM’s International Operations, 36 years.
Consulting through an “Extended Expert Network” are Steve Matsil, a vehicle chief engineer with substantial commercial vehicle background; Lincoln McGhee, GM’s former vehicle development process and program management executive; and Albert Steurer, an executive with substantial powertrain, vehicle and manufacturing planning background. Combined, the New Motor Advisors team has more than 200 years of automotive experience.
The new team says it will provide leadership assistance to newcomers to automotive or supplement the product development and program management capacity of existing OEMs or suppliers. Fleet managers are also potential clients as they evaluate new technologies during fleet planning and purchasing.
"We will bring our knowledge to companies lacking experience or short on leadership bandwidth with so many projects initiating," said Stenson. "This is especially common with electric vehicle programs (Hybrids, Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), Plug-in Hybrids (PHEV)) and other green technologies, but our consulting services are not exclusive to these, based on our decades of experience across automotive products."
Stenson said the firm may also assist suppliers facing new demands from their customers. With the diversity of new product programs and their underlying technology, the OEMs and suppliers can run short of leaders to cover all the bases and deliver according to the typically rigorous vehicle timing plans. Outside Detroit, M&A firms looking for assistance with transition planning, performing due diligence and assessing intellectual property can often use some technically savvy automotive insiders to gain perspective for their client investors or companies.
Stenson added, "As companies and investors wrestle with strategy and execution planning, they often stumble while estimating time, resources and risk to put the technology on the road. Beyond shuffling top leadership chairs when expectations aren’t met, they need to look at the product development plans and bench strength to execute them. We plan to be their bridge to Detroit.”
